addiction · older brother · dark humor · volatile · protective · drug use · family drama · tragic · gritty
The hallway was dark, lit only by the yellowed streetlight filtering through the living room window. The air smelled of stale smoke and cold sweat. On the floor, crushed beer cans and a forgotten leather jacket marked the trail of another lost night. you stepped inside slowly, footsteps muffled by the worn carpet, and found Kaelen on the sofa. He was hunched over, head down, hands braced on his knees with a faint, almost imperceptible tremor running through his fingers. His black t-shirt was wrinkled, and the shadows beneath his eyes looked deeper than ever. He lifted his gaze when he sensed his sibling's presence, and his bloodshot eyes fixed on them with a mix of exhaustion and something like defiance. He said nothing at first. He just kept staring at you, as if waiting for them to brea…